engifineer

Until you start feeling like you are overheating the brakes enough to warrant something else:
Stock calipers
Blank rotors (OEM equivalent, Centrics are great, Napas higher end rotors are also great for this)
For larger tracks, people tend to like the HAWK DTC's (see brake threads for more info on which ones) or Carbotechs
For any track use at all you need to change to a higher temp brake fluid. This is highly important. Very common choice and affordable is Motul and that is what I am currently running
For reference, for the shorter track I tend to run I use Hawk HP+. They work fine and are cheap so am running those for now. Would go to a more trackish pad for a larger track so see comments above.

If you get to the point where the stock brake sizing becomes and issue and you think you are having issues with heat dissipation, then start looking at bigger brakes. There are whole threads on that too with peoples experiences there. Just be sure to listen to what people who actually track the car recommend vs people just buying for looks and street only use to be sure you are going the right direction.

I would never use the yokos or RE-71Rs for HPDE. I ran RE-71Rs at first for track nights and tore through a set in no time (3 autox events, 3 track nights on a 1 mile short course). Yep, those are both fast tires, but if you are not actually competing on a clock, you will get tired of spending over $900 for a set of tires that go away quickly. Hankook RS4 is the common choice. Still plenty fast for HPDE, a lot cheaper and last a LOT longer than the yokes or stones.

engifineer

My basic advice is to spend as little as you can to just make the car usable and safe on the track (good high temp fluid, new, decent pads, ensure rotors are in good shape and decent tires). Then you will start learning the car and learning which "knobs" to turn to get what you want out of the car. Sucks to go out and spend big dough on one mod to only find out it really did not help and you coulda spent more on the thing you learned you needed next Keep in mind, MANY people getting into HPDE start in a bone stock car with changed brake fluid and a decent set of tires and are still not overdriving that setup for quite a while. So you can also spread out the spending that way.

But for safety I will re-iterate ... CHANGE THE FLUID! You can boil regular fluid pretty quick on a track and even quicker if old, and then you have zero brakes all of a sudden. I run the motul and change it each season.

rush2redline

They do last a while lol. I have Hankook RS4's on my STI and previously the Hawk DTCs on my STI but I've since converted to the S2000 because I wanted to become a better driver and learn to balance RWD properly. The STI is still my daily.

My short term plan is to do the basic mods, safety, tires, pads, brake fluid, ss lines, radio, and seat time. Run the car at least twice on each track to learn the car and the track lines better. I mostly run AX to get a feel for the tires at the limit, learn the car, and just enjoy myself.
My medium term plan is to collect the parts now, then put them on all at once towards the end of the season, which will cause me to move up a class, but I can compare previous times and tune while comparing the feel of the OEM balance.

I came to this thread for rims but I'll do more research on brake caliper options in the forums. Some of the other guys I see running at AX/Track are StopTech brakes.

rush2redline

They do seem pretty affordable and they look like BBS/Enkei Raijin which isn't a bad thing. 17x9 weighs in at 19.2lbs which is just over a lbs less than stock at a 1/2 inch wider stance.

engifineer

I used to run stoptechs on mine and switched to HP+ because of more initial bite. But the Hawks create a metric s#it ton of dust

Also, Stoptech is owned by Centric so what used to be labeled as stop tech rotors are Centric rotors. They still brand their pads as StopTech though.

One thing with autox is it teaches precise car control a lot faster and better than HPDE. Some will come in screaming on that but sorry... it is simply true. The folks we see locally getting pointed by at HPDE events the most are typically long time autocrossers who then moved to HPDE, and the people who we constantly have to talk to about picking up gravel from the apex (non kerbed track) are the non autocrossers since they have not learned where the edges of their car is yet. Plus, autox is so much lower risk and you are really transitioning the car so much that you learn the limits and the behavior very quickly that way. Pushing 10/10ths on a track in your shiny s2k is a lot different than doing that on an autocross course. So I highly recommend doing both and doing enough autocross to really hone that type of car control. I am in no way saying one is "better" than the other, but you can learn a lot of different things in both. Autocross is just a good way to get exposed to the car past its limits and how to handle it there, especially with a lot of fast back and forth transitions where in order to be fast, you need to learn to keep the car on the hairy edge so it dances for you instead of just sitting on all 4 tires lazily.

Just be aware to adjust your driving style from one to the other and a lot of times your settings. We tend to set up an autocross car very loose and more twitchy with our bar and shock settings than you would want on a higher speed track application.

In any case you are doing the right things, asking great questions and will have a BLAST in the S2k on track. One of the most fun things in the world

rush2redline

Thanks Engi, you're always very helpful in providing elaborate feedback.

I'm also running "Centric" rotors on my STI presently It's funny, you're absolutely right that some in my local HPDE friend group bash on AX saying that AX it's "useless" even when I explained its safer to learn the car at the limit, but to each their own.
I started AX seriously in 2007 in my 01' Honda Prelude/08' Civic Si, but became serious in 2011 with the STI GRB. From 2013 I moved to Rally Cross (which is it's own ball of fun). I've been racing mountain/road bikes for the fitness and skill which translates directly to motorcycles (Ducati Panigale 899) because it's cheaper to race MC's than it is to race a car (initial start is comparable in price, but consumables and entry fees are cheaper). With some career changes, promotions, and a local friend selling his minty S2K I had the chance to buy my dream car for competition. I'll probably continue to do AX for years to come as it's simply a joy and a great time.

I'm looking into 4 piston brakes for the S2000 now which will clear a theoretical pair of Enkei RPF1s in 17x9, while they're not as "bling" I'm sure they'll be adequate for my intentions; balancing the line between AX and Track. I may make a new thread for brakes because I don't want to de-rail the intention of this thread lol

Manga_Spawn

Are you asking which RPF1's have BBK clearance or just in general? For RPF1's you have to have to convex face like the 17x8 wheels tend to have. The concave face like the 17x9's have very little brake clearance. They are close to the OEM brakes.

I think the 6UL wheels have some brake clearance but would check with 949 to be sure.

engifineer

The issue is that people that are closed minded and only ever have done HPDE really have less understanding of really pushing the car. HPDE is not racing, they have never driven to the limit under the stress of competition and thus have never really driven to the limit most likely. It is easy to feel like the HPDE "champion" and go around thinking you are a race car driver when you have never competed at all. And 99% of the people that do only HPDE and talk down on autox got their ass stomped by a 1989 civic at an autox event and gave up on it I have seen that a million times. New person comes from HPDE to autox, finishes way behind mid pack at best in their boosted tuner car and gets raw timed by seconds by people in 120 hp miatas and civics. Then the next thin you hear is "this course is designed for miatas" or "my car just has to much power for autocross" and they dont come back. Then we see them at the track as they point by our sub 250 hp cars over and over and they dont talk to us.

Like I said, both have their place, both are great fun, and you learn a ton in both. And being amazing at one does not make you good at both by default. Just a shame that some have those attitudes. The idea that "I am fast on the track so autox is just easy and a waste" is one of the most flawed ideas I have ever heard. It goes both ways for sure but generally it is the HPDE "champs" that tend to think that way.

ncrx

With what's available and cheap
good for STR , Tuner, and a BBK
Only require a front roll mainly the tabs
tsw nurburgrings 17x9 will clear a number of bbk's and others with a small spacer

in TT Tuner4 you're free to go to a 17x10
unfortunately 17x10 was shot down by the SEB for STR, so only good for TT Tuner4 and BBK
will require front roll and rear roll and tab relo
weds sa72r in 17x10 +55

I have been interested in getting some rota grid's in 17x10 +50 but havent been able to confirm if it will clear my Stoptech c43's. as i'm building the car more for TT Tuner4 now.

engifineer

With codriving an ND nowadays in STR, I am tinkering with the idea of TT4 in the S2000. I almost DONT like the 10" wheel option, since it will make me wanna do it and have to futher modify fenders so I can take advantage of that extra tire lol. Its kinda like how I felt about not being able to remove the AC for STR (solo). I was happy about that, because if I could have, I would have been tempted to to save weight and I LIKE my AC